Suds and Muck
by randomcat23
Summary: To start a new battle season, S Class teams are invited to a parade and the Blitz Team is no different. To prepare, Brad, Bit, Leena and Jamie set off to scrub and prime their Zoids. But, Liger Zero won't make it easy on them. He wants special treatment.


**Disclaimer:** I don't own Zoids.

* * *

For ZutarianNaiad.

* * *

Splashes of water could be heard throughout the Blitz Team's hanger. Buckets littered the ground along with sponges. Light reflected off the multiple puddles that had gathered on the floor.

"I don't see why Doc is so set on us washing our Zoids," Brad groaned as he dunked a sponge in a bucket of soapy water. "They're just going to get dirty during the next battle anyway."

Leena was quick to rebuke him. "We're in the S class now, Brad. The Blitz Team should always look their best!" She watched him lazily scrub the Shadow Fox's cockpit and shook her head. Why was it that boys never understood the importance of cleanliness?

"Just think, Brad," Jamie piped up with the intention of lightening the mood, "Ladies love a clean Zoid."

The mercenary just mumbled something about "not his type of lady" but continued to wash his dark Zoid. The Blitz Team, along with the rest of the prestigious S Class Teams were invited to the annual "Parade of Champions." The festival was used as a way to show off the teams' new Zoids. People far and wide traveled to just sneak a peek at the celebrity pilots and their premium Zoids as well as buy merchandise in the markets and attend the fair. And while it was supposed to be a neutral event, there was always the underlying wish to strike some intimidation into the opponents.

Doc, never one to skimp out on impressing sponsors, requested that the crew washed and waxed the Shadow Fox, Raynos, Gun Sniper and Liger Zero. He provided them with the best clean products money could buy and demanded perfection. _"I want to see my skin pores when I look at my reflection!"_

They had begun the washing right after a breakfast cooked up by Jamie and continued scrubbing into the early afternoon. The Shadow Fox was nearly completed. Brad put the finishing touches on its ears while Bit scrubbed the silver claws. Leena and Jamie had just completed their work on the tail and both jumped down to admire the glimmering Zoid.

"See, the Shadow Fox likes it. He's growling with happiness," Leena said with a grin. She dumped out the buckets of dirty water just in time to hear Brad negate her statement.

"Wrong! My Fox likes a healthy coating of dirt. It's proof that he's worked hard. Right, Fox?"

It gave a low rumble of agreement, but Leena shook her head. "Boys."

Jamie laughed. "So, I guess my Raynos is next?"

"It is as long as it doesn't give us as much trouble as Leena's Gun Sniper," Bit called from underneath the Fox. "That thing was a pain in the-"

"Bit Cloud! You bad-mouth my Zoid and I'll shoot up your Liger!" Leena shook a dirty rag at the blonde pilot. "She just doesn't like water!"

"No wonder that Zoid is so fidgety. Its pilot is freaking crazy..." Brad murmured from atop his Zoid before he jumped down. "I'd run far away from here if I had Leena as a pilot."

"Oh, boy, here it comes," Jamie side stepped just before Leena went running toward Brad with a broom over her head. He picked up the wet cleaning supplies while Leena chased Brad around the hanger with said broom and insults. "Hey, Bit! Are you almost done?"

"Yep! I just finished the front claws on the Fox. They are all ready to go!" Unlike Brad, Bit almost enjoyed cleaning the Zoids. It was a way of showing pride, in his mind anyway. Besides, he was in agreement with Doc that appearances did count when it came to the "Parade of Champions". Bit wasn't about to get laughed at by veterans because his Zoid had smudges on it.

"Great! I think we can finish my Raynos before dinner."

Bit nodded, "And then Liger is last."

"Yep. Here, help me refill these buckets."

The two of them managed to refill all twenty buckets and collect new bottles of wax from Doc by the time both Leena and Brad had ceased their game of tag. They just stood panting at each other.

"Jerk," Leena rasped while using the broom for support.

"Psycho." Brad was bent over, his face hidden by his hair.

Jamie rolled his eyes and placed two buckets by each of them. He then turned toward his Zoid and sighed, "Join us whenever you guys get your breath back." Bit just laughed and picked up a bucket in each hand for himself before walking over to Jamie's green Raynos, being careful not to slip on the soapy floor. He dodged a few puddles with fancy footwork before tossing a bucket on the Zoid.

The flying Zoid cawed with glee at the first splash of water. Bit once again took the position at the Zoid's feet and carefully scrubbed the claws and lower armor of the Zoid. Jamie had moved up to its back and had a small smile on his face as his Zoid roared graciously at the cleaning. By the time Bit and Jamie had emptied a bucket each, Brad and Leena had joined them in washing the calm Raynos.

The Raynos took the longest to clean despite its mellow demeanor. The wings gave the crew some trouble, mostly because the Raynos seemed to be ticklish at the connecting joints. But it was eventually sparkling clean and the team stood back admiring the three cleaned Zoids.

"One more to go." Brad let out a sigh of relief.

"They look nice," Leena admired. "Especially my Gun Sniper!"

Bit glanced at his skuzzy Zoid. He was eager to get Liger into tip-top shape, but a growl from his stomach told him to wait. "What's for dinner anyway?"

Jamie shrugged. "I have no idea. Doc said he was cooking tonight..."

"Doc? Cooking?" A look of horror spread across Brad's face while Leena's frowned. Bit's eyes grew wide with dread.

"My Dad doesn't cook! Jamie! Why would you let him do that to us?" She approached him threateningly with the broom once again in her hand.

Jamie put his hands up in defense as he slowly backed away. "Now, Leena, ha, I'm sure you're Dad will manage something edible." But as soon as the words exited his mouth, Jamie took off toward the kitchen, sprinting full speed. Leena, Brad and Bit followed closely behind screaming threats.

Doc's daughter ran full speed, hands outstretched menacingly. "Traitor!"

"You eat it first, whatever it is, Jamie!" Brad skid across the floor, bumping shoulders with Bit.

"When you get sick we'll know not to eat it!"

Jamie tumbled to a stop at the kitchen table and nearly laughed when he saw the stack of pizza boxes. "Doc! You've saved me!"

"Uh? You're welcome, Jamie." Doc raised an eyebrow and filled his own plate with the round food.

Bit, Brad and Leena burst through the door a second later, rage still ringing in their voices. It was quickly silenced by the tasty aroma in the air. There was a loud sigh of relief and one or two glares at the youngest member of the team before everyone was seated.

"So, the Liger is the last Zoid to be washed," Doc summed up his team's activities and chuckled. "I'm sure he'll appreciate the scrubbing."

"Yeah," Bit agreed and chomped on another piece of pizza. "He'll like strutting in front of those other Zoids with clean, shiny armor."

Laughter broke out amongst the group as they all pictured a proud Liger Zero prancing down the street.

"At least Liger has the skill to back up the boast," Leena said in between bites. "Now, if it was Harry's Iron Kong . . ."

Brad snorted, "The King's still in A class, right? Leena nodded. "If we're lucky, we won't see him then."

"Don't kid yourself, Brad. Harry will go wherever Leena goes." Jamie gave a dramatic interpretation of Harry swooning; Bit, Brad and Doc snickered. Leena raised a fork and pointed it at Jamie. The young, black-haired pilot immediately stopped his portrayal of Harry and sat upright. "Or, you know, we might not see him at all."

* * *

The Blitz Team quickly finished their dinner and then headed back to the hanger to finish the Liger Zero. The sun was sitting low in the sky casting long shadows into the open hanger. . . .

"Bit, why's the hanger open?" Leena placed her hands on her hips as the group entered the Zoid storage space. "You were the last to leave."

But Bit was not listening. His eyes were busy darting around the hanger cataloging the present Zoids.

Shadow Fox? Check.

Gun Sniper? Check.

Raynos? Check.

Liger Zero?

"Liger?" Bit called to the empty spot where the Ultimate X should be.

"Oh man," Jamie started, running up beside Bit, "the Liger wasn't, no couldn't have been…?" He looked outside toward the setting sun.

Bit just marched over to the open door of the hanger and yelled, "LIGER! COME BACK HERE!" He seemed to be shouting at the empty desert, but when Brad, Leena and Jamie joined him at the door they just made out the Liger Zero in the distance.

"He's prancing," Brad observed.

"How did he get all the way out there?" Leena cocked her head to the side.

"He ran, Leena," answered Brad, slightly teasing. The Gun Sniper pilot punched him in the arm.

Bit let out a sigh, "Of course Liger would pick this day to be mischievous."

"What are you going to do, Bit?" Jamie asked as Bit took off at a sprint. "Obviously, run after the thing." He shook his head. "Bit, you're crazy!"

Brad leaned up against the frame of the door, crossed his arms and decided, "I want to watch this." Leena joined him with a grin.

But Jamie stared at the scene and frowned. There was no way Bit would be able to wrangle in the Liger Zero like that. That Zoid had its own mind and when it wanted to be difficult, it would continue to do so. "I have a feeling we're going to have a lot of work to do tonight."

* * *

"LIGER!" Bit called again to his partner, waving his arms over his head. "You goof, get back here!" He had sprinted maybe half the distance between him and the escaped Zoid. But the Liger would not return to the hanger. If anything, Zero would just waggle his behind and taunt Bit anytime the pilot issued a warning.

"This isn't getting me anywhere." Bit shook his head. Sure, Liger did have his playful, devious streak, but never had he opened the hanger and ran around in the desert before. Besides, the parade was tomorrow. Surely Liger knew that; they had discussed it just days before.

A light went off in Bit's head. "Ugh, Liger, why?" While everyone was priming their Zoids, Zero would have observed that he was the next to be cleaned. As a prank, it made sense to him to ruin their hard work by making the team go the extra mile to clean the 'one and only Liger Zero.'

"What he didn't take into account is that now everyone will be mad at him. We'll have to use the other Zoids to catch him. Nobody's going to be pleased about that." Knowing it would be best to start as soon as possible, Bit turned and started jogging back to the hanger and his friends. Even though he knew a whole night's worth of work was ahead of them, he could not help the amused feeling in his gut.

* * *

"We have to WHAT?" Leena screeched and gestured to her Zoid. "But they're all clean, Bit. CLEAN! We'd have to wash them all AGAIN if we hunt down your stupid Zoid!"

"There's no other way," Bit said. "Liger's not going to come back on his own."

Brad's eyebrow twitched, "You owe us, Bit." But even with that statement, Brad walked over to the Shadow Fox and climbed into the cockpit.

Jamie rested his hand against his forehead, "I thought it would come to this." Bit gave Jamie an apologetic glance. "It's not really your fault, Bit." Within the next minute, the Raynos was ready to launch.

Still, Leena stood fuming with her arms crossed and anger swirling in her eyes. "I can't believe it. We spent all day scrubbing, waxing and preparing _our_ Zoids and then _your_ Zoid has to go and do something, something so, stupid."

Bit shrugged, "What can I say, he likes to play games."

His comment made Leena roll her eyes, but she lost her aggressive stance. "I want a box of Camford Cookies when this is all done." There was no negotiating the deal. "The most expensive box they have."

Bit's shoulders sagged, "But those things are expensive to begin with! Even one cookie is priced over the top!"

Leena flipped her hair over her shoulder and sauntered to her Zoid. "Fair's fair, Bit."

* * *

"We're going to have to move fast," Leena warned her teammates. "It's already late." Her Gun Sniper was running alongside the Shadow Fox. Their target was presently 2000 yards ahead of them, rolling in the desert dust. Leena watched this scene and her eye twitched.

Bit had joined Jamie in the Raynos, which now soared above the two ground Zoids. "It's going to be a long night, regardless," Jamie sighed and readjusted the Raynos' direction.

"So, what's the game plan, Bit?" Brad broke the trail of downer statements and picked up his speed.

"We're just going to have to surround him—"

"Aw, let's break one of his legs." Leena cackled over the communicator.

But before Bit could respond, the Liger Zero had changed his direction and now sprinted towards his teammates. "Here's our chance!" Bit called, unable to hide his amusement from his voice, "Brad, grab his tail, if you can! Leena, get in front of him. If all else fails, lower on his back, Jamie!"

The three Zoids moved into position, but remained in motion to hide their exact attack plan. Liger lifted his head in a roar and then pounced. He leapt over the Gun Sniper and avoided the Shadow Fox's snapping teeth. While the Fox and Sniper glared at the white Zoid in surprise, the Liger gave a hearty laugh and sprinted off toward the forest.

The Gun Sniper let out an irritated growl, clearly copying its pilot's mood. "Bit Cloud, your Zoid is impossible!"

"We've lost almost all our light," Brad noted as he gazed at the setting sun. "This has to end soon."

Jamie landed the Raynos next to his teammates. "Maybe we should have a better plan of action," he offered and glanced back at Bit. "Catching the Liger Zero is almost impossible this way—"

Bit quieted the young pilot with a wave of his hand. "We can get him in the forest," Bit said assertively.

"What? How?" The Gun Sniper took a step toward the Raynos. "The Liger is the most nimble Zoid we have? What makes you think—"

Brad cut her off, "What do you have in mind, Bit?"

"Just head toward the woods." A smile broke out on the blonde's face. Nobody knew the Liger like Bit did. And if anyone could catch the Ultimate X, it was his own pilot. "I'll explain our method of attack on the way."

* * *

Liger Zero pounced through the woods, enjoying the feeling of dirt between his paws. The off season was the worst part of being a battle Zoid; it was just five months of sitting around in the hanger. His only escape was when Bit took him for a run. But even a run did not satisfy his desire to fight, to win.

A run was not battle.

Seeing the other Zoids get washed and primed only made Liger's anticipation grow. In just a few days the new season would start, bringing new opponents and challenges. That was definitely worth roaring about.

It got to the point where he could not contain it anymore and he just had to sprint, had to stretch his legs. That was part of the reason why the Ultimate X decided to escape from the Blitz Team Hanger. The other part was the fact that a good scrubbing awaited him once he returned.

Liger would be the first to admit that he enjoyed looking fresh and clean in front of his enemies. A little intimidation never hurt anyone.

A rustling from his left brought Liger Zero out of his musings. The Shadow Fox roared, racing alongside the Liger just a hundred yards away. Its roar was echoed by the Gun Sniper's screech from the left. Liger continued his pace, watching his comrades. Neither one of them moved closer, aside from momentarily dodging trees, but then they would return to their position.

For ten minutes the three Zoids ran through the woods. Liger Zero actually slowed his pace so that it was easier for them to keep up. Curiosity also made him run slower; what were his friends up to? The ground suddenly grew softer; they were getting closer to the marshes. Mud now splattered all three Zoids.

With a small rumbling roar, Liger continued to ponder his comrades' actions. Surely they weren't trying to capture him again? That would not work, Liger knew this. Then again, the Fox and Sniper kept their distance, as if they were not interested in catching him.

Odd.

As soon as he thought this, the Shadow Fox decreased his pace and fell behind, softly disappearing into the wooded area. The Gun Sniper changed its course by headed off to the right, but picked up speed.

Liger Zero stopped completely and tried to locate the two Zoids. As he turned his head, no metallic sound reached him. Only the chirping of birds and the louder croaks of frogs filled the air.

Without warning a thundering of paws came up behind the Liger Zero. Brad's Shadow Fox raised its head in a challenging roar and charged at the big, white cat. Unwilling to get caught, Liger sprinted off, straight ahead into a thick tree cluster. The foliage blocked Liger's vision briefly, leaves flew by the Zoid in clouds of green. When he finally managed to clear the thick plants a sense of satisfaction swept through the Zoid; Just let the Shadow Fox try and catch him!

But as the Liger pounded forward, he saw the Gun Sniper posed and ready to attack. Surely the Sniper wasn't trying the same trick again? Liger gave a cocky growl and leapt over the purple dinosaur Zoid.

However, this time something was different.

There wasn't the same amount of spring in his leap. The soft ground cushioned the Liger's pounce. This small change gave the Shadow Fox just enough time to break through the woods, jump and latch his teeth onto Liger's tail. Quickly, the Gun Sniper dodged to the side and watched as Liger Zero fell straight to the ground, weighed down by the sneaky Fox.

The ground gave way, mud and water slashed into the air. Splatters covered nearby trees and the three Zoids present. Liger found himself neck-deep in a mud pit. When he attempted to crawl out no progress was made. Half fuming, half amused at being tricked, Liger let out a defeated growl and sunk his nose into the muck.

Play time was over, he supposed. But at least now with all this mud on him, a good scrubbing was sure to happen!

* * *

"WE GOT HIM!" Leena opened her cockpit and struck a victory pose. "HECK YEAH!" A few fist pumps later, Brad joined her in celebration with a small smirk, even though his Zoid was almost as dirty as the Liger; the Fox had landed in the shallower part of the mud pit.

"Finally," Brad let out a sigh. Leena continued to shut her excitement until the Raynos appeared overhead. Through the communicator, Brad heard Bit and Jamie's victory cries and then Bit's directions.

"We'll get you out first, Brad." And as the champion said it, Jamie lowered the Raynos right above the Fox's shoulders. With its claws, the green Zoid managed to yank the trapped Zoid from the muck.

"Nice work, Brad," Jamie said as the Raynos lowered Brad and his Zoid onto solid ground. "We'll meet you back at the hanger!"

"Got it, Jamie." Brad interrupted Leena's continuing happy dance and called her to join him. "Leena and I will get the hanger ready for the Liger."

Bit let a smile break out on his face. "Thanks Brad!"

The Shadow Fox and Gun Sniper soon disappeared into the woods, dirty and smudged, but victorious.

"Let's get Liger out, Jamie!"

The youngest Blitz Team member just nodded and latched the Raynos onto the now brown Liger Zero. With a little bit of a struggle the Ultimate X was soon free, dripping with mud, and set onto the edge of the mud pit. Before Jamie let the Liger go, Bit jumped from its cockpit to his own Zoid's head. After wiping off a bit of mud, Bit opened the latch and settled himself into the seat.

"Meet you back at the hanger, Bit!" Jamie yelled as the Raynos took off into the dark sky.

Bit watched as the flying Zoid headed home and then shook his head. "Liger, it's a good thing we like you so much," he playfully chided and took the controls in his hands. "Leena had a fit. Your trick has cost me cookies!"

But even as he said his, Bit laughed. Leave it to his Zoid to make things interesting. Liger growled lightly and then shook off the excess mud from his body.

"Let's get you cleaned up, partner. I don't mind the pranks, but I want to look our best for the parade tomorrow."

Liger Zero roared in agreement, satisfied with how his idea played out. He was very lucky to have Bit Cloud as his pilot. What other human would be so understanding and also find his joke funny?

* * *

They must have been running on adrenaline because the Blitz Team cleaned the Zoids in less time than it had taken them earlier that day. Of course, it helped that the Raynos only needed its claws cleaned and that Liger purposely ran underneath a waterfall on the way home.

Surprisingly, Leena was in a cheerful mood throughout the long night. Bit figured Liger's prank did more good than bad; nobody on the Blitz Team could resist a good joke even if it did come at a seemingly horrible time.

And, as his prank ensured, Liger got the best scrubbing out of all the Zoids. Countless buckets were poured on him and tens of bottles of soap were empty by the end of the night. But once he was completely dry, even in the dim light of the hanger, the Liger Zero sparkled.

The team went to bed with grins on their faces and woke up with cheerful, if tired smiles. Brad, Bit, Leena and Jamie made Doc proud; they and their Zoids were the talk of the parade. But Bit heard some of the announcers chat as the team marched down the street lined with thousands of fans. One commented on just how clean the Blitz Team looked and just how long it must have taken them to produce such fantastic Zoids.

Bit couldn't help himself but grin as he said, "If they only knew." Liger Zero stretched his neck and let out an echoing roar, ready for the new season of battling.

* * *

I had a great time with this one. The Blitz Team is just a lot of fun to write! Any critique is love!-randomcat23


End file.
